Fight For Your Life
by CC Writes
Summary: Seven years ago, the mysterious death of Mr. and Mrs. Butler has impacted an entire city. Now, their son wants answers, and it seems a group of kids have them. But is he really ready to take on a potentially dangerous man? [T for now.]
1. Prologue

**FOREWORD**

This is an AU, which kind of goes off the series, but at the same time it doesn't. Also, they're not robot monkeys, but humans - teenagers to be exact. Hurray!

Because of this, they have last names which aren't important. Sprx's REAL name, for this story, is Spencer. Most of the time he will still be called Sprx, with exceptions to adults who aren't as close to him and Gibson, from time to time.

* * *

**Fight For Your Life**  
_The Beginning_

He didn't know what to think or do. His mother and father had been gone for an extended period of time, and the babysitter was beginning to worry. She called his aunt and uncle, who had confirmed that his parents had left hours ago. It was, after all, only a two hour drive.

The rest if the night, he sat quietly, his big blue eyes staring out the window, waiting for the small car to pull into the driveway. Instead, nothing came. It has been drizzling and windy. It wasn't bad enough weather to cause anything like an accident. Still, he worried his parents had been involved in something terrible.

The babysitter sent him to bed, informing him everything was fine and maybe they had decided to spend quality time together. She ushered him up the stairs and he crawled into his big boy race car bed he and his dad had assembled together two years ago. Now he was seven, and he felt it was becoming a little to snug.

From his room he had a view of the driveway and off the street. He would watch cars drive by. He had been upstairs for almost an hour and still no signs of his parents. That babysitter who promised him everything was fine was now pacing below, talking rather loudly because she was worried.

Finally he saw headlights in the driveway, and he rushed to the window. His big, blue eyes watched the black and white car come to a halt and a tall, lanky man step out. He slowly approached the door, a look of sorrow and despair on his face. He rushed to the top of the stairs and hid around the corner as the babysitter opened the front door.

"Are you their daughter?"

"No, I'm watching their young son…"

"How old is he?"

"About six, maybe seven."

He clenched his fists as their voices got quieter. Finally, the babysitter called for him and introduced him to the nice cop, who he had heard been called Miller.

Miller had big green eyes that looked like his father's and a smile that was warm like his mother's. He shook his hand and greeted him kindly, although he looked pained.

"Chiro, I'm sorry we have to meet under these circumstances. You see, there was an accident and…"

Chiro gulped.

"Your parents didn't make it out alive."

* * *

Spencer Miller was about nine years old. Well, almost. He was preparing to celebrate his ninth birthday, and he decided he was going to have a much _cooler_ party than the nerd next door.

As he ran around the darkened backyard, buzzing happily, shouting things he had heard every ace pilot say in the movies, his mother peered out the window smiled happily at her only son. She really didn't want to argue with him, but it was time for him to lie down for bed. "S-P-R-X-7-7, come in. The twins are in bed, it's time for you to join them."

"Ah, come on Ma!"

He zoomed into the house anyway, because he didn't want his dad to think he was misbehaving. "Can I at least stay up and see Dad?" he asked and his mother smiled, affectionately ruffling his red hair.

"I don't see why not, Spence."

"Mama, I told you to call me Sprx!"

"Oh, silly me! Excuse me. Do you want any water?" He nodded and jumped into the armchair, waiting for his dad to come home and tell him about all the cool and heroic stuff he did. His dad had always been his hero, and one day he planned to be just like him.

When the car pulled up to the curb in front of his house, he bounced up and down and waiter patiently. When the door opened, he greeted his father with a huge smile and said, "Hi, Dad!"

"Lucille, what is he doing up?" his father shouted. Sprx's face fell. He knew his dad was only ever in a bad mood if someone had died.

"He wanted to see you, David." Lucille handed her son the glass of water and watched as he slid off the chair. "Where are you going?"

"Something happened with Dad at work. He wants to have a grown-up talk with you."

David went pale and knelt down and placed his hands on Sprx's shoulders. "I'm sorry, Spence," he began. "It was a really bad night. But I promise tomorrow I'll be in a better mood. Goodnight, Spencer."

"Night Dad, night Ma."

When he was out of sight, he huddled in the dark hallway by the entrance to the living room. "What happened?" His mother was not a quiet woman and her voiced carried. His dad hushed her.

"A death. A homicide. I know it!"

"But?" Lucille inquired.

"Everyone thinks it was a normal, horrid car crash. They had no alcohol in their systems, no drugs. You don't just drive into the median and the way their bodies were…"

They began to whisper, which Sprx had tried to decipher, but could not.

Lucille hushed him and pleaded, "No more. I know you're very skeptical, but Mr. Skelly… he's a good man."

"Lucy, please tell me you don't believe that."

She sighed. "If what you're telling me is true, I don't want you looking for trouble."

He could hear the smirk in his dad's voice. "I'm a Miller. Trouble looks for _me_."

Sprx had wondered what that meant.


	2. A New School

**Fight For Your Life**  
_A New School_

"Alright, Chiro. Here it is!"

He picked up his head as he glanced out the window, not completely enthused by the new school. He had really enjoyed his old middle school, and while he appreciated the money put into going to the best high school in the area, he didn't really feel it necessary.

His uncle had told him it wasn't necessary to bus him out to his old town for school, which he had to agree made sense. Still, he didn't know why they couldn't have just moved into his old house.

"Shuggazoom High. Home of the Fighting Monkeys!"

"What a lame mascot," Chiro muttered. His aunt laughed and pulled up to the front of the school.

"You'll grow to like it."

Chiro doubted that. When his aunt pulled up to the curb, she turned to him and smiled. He mumbled his goodbye and unbuckled his seatbelt. "Chiro," his aunt said. "I know this hasn't been easy on you. But I know it'll all work out in the end. Trust me on this one."

Chiro sighed. "Okay, bye, Auntie."

"Have a good first day!"

He stepped out of the car and she sped away, leaving Chiro to gawk at the size of the school. He had only gone to relatively small schools, where his class size had ever been thirty kids in a grade at _most_. He didn't know how he was suppose to handle a class close to three times the size of that.

A group of boys ran into him. "Sorry!" one of the shouted. They were closer to his age from what he could tell. "You can join us, if you like!"

Chiro nodded. "Yeah," he muttered. "I'd like that a lot."

**x x x**

"Get lost, Spencer."

Sprx rolled his eyes and directed his gaze down the hallway. "So, Gibby," he began, earning a disapproving groan from the other. "Plan on being a huge nerd again this year?"

"Spencer," the other boy said, turning to face the person who had been his neighbor for years. "I am in no mood to deal with you today." Sprx's laughed (Gibson would protest it was closer to a giggle), and the redhead pushed the brown haired teen into his locker.

"You better not be picking on poor Gibson again, Sparky."

Turning on his heels, Sprx's snarled at the blonde hair girl. "No one asked your opinion, Nova. And he likes it. It's how we communicate. Right, Hal?"

"Do _not_ call me that!" Gibson retorted. "Good morning, Nova, how are you?"

The tan girl shrugged her shoulders and opened her locker. "Pretty good. Have you guys seen Otto yet? He has my books I lent him over the summer."

"He's being typical Otto and he's going to be late," Sprx replied. "Or he's being typical Otto and flirting with some babes." Nova glared at Sprx and Gibson slammed his locker shut. "What's so attractive about him anyway? He smells like grease and cigarettes."

"It's that whole 'bad boy' image, I presume," Gibson replied. Sprx snorted and Gibson added, "Although, Otto is a 'bad' as a puppy."

"It's his alarmingly good looks and muscles too," Nova added. "I mean, he just _looks_ strong." Sprx frowned and looked over at Gibson, who sent an all-knowing smirk back at him. Sprx muttered something under his breath and Gibson caught the tail-end of the sentence. He chuckled to himself.

"Otto is as attractive as canned meat."

"You're just jealous," Nova said. "He gets all the girls and you get his sloppy seconds."

"I don't look at them like sloppy seconds," Sprx replied. "I look at them as missed opportunities. And he's never had a girlfriend, so they aren't even seconds." Gibson cleared his throat and Sprx turned back towards him, to see the boy they were just talking about approach them. "Speak of the devil and he shall appear."

Otto gave them a wide grin and Gibson nodded in acknowledgement. "Hey guys, what's up?"

"Talking about how gorgeous you are," Sprx replied. "Especially Nova. What did you say, babe? That his eyes were like the sea during a sunset? And his hair was like a grain field during the morning?"

Nova turned bright red and clenched her fists, muttering, "I oughtta smack the _shit_ out of you!"

Sprx laughed, "Uh-uh. Temper, temper!"

Otto laughed and rubbed the back of his neck. Nova's eyes went to his neck and her jaw dropped wide open. "Otto, what happened to your neck?"

Gibson whipped his head around and examined his neck as well. It was purple and red on the sides, especially, with darker, smaller circles in the front. Otto's expression was fear, but he quickly lost it fast enough that only Gibson would notice.

"Otto and I got into a fight last week," Gibson chimed in. "And I guess I grabbed his neck too hard."

"No fucking way! You did this, Brainstrain?" Sprx asked, invading Otto's personal space to get a better look. Otto stepped back and Sprx started laughing. "He went easy on you. He probably didn't want you to feel bad. Otto could kick your ass."

The bell rang and Nova glanced down at her schedule. "Sprx, we have gym together."

"Okay, well, we're going downstairs now," Sprx latched onto Nova's arm. She hissed and pushed him away. "See you boys later."

As soon as they walked away, Otto turned to Gibson and said, "Nice cover."

Gibson studied the bruises on his neck, but didn't say anything in return. He wanted to ask himself, but he knew his best friend too well. Sooner or later he knew, Otto wouldn't be able to dodge these questions.

But if it was later, Gibson worried it would be too late.

**x x x**

At Shuggazoom High, they did this weird thing where a senior would be assigned to be a "freshman's buddy." Chiro felt awkward, as it seemed many seniors were more interested in teasing the newcomers than actually helping them out.

Chiro had a boy who sounded pretty myserious. Antauri Verma was his name, and although they hadn't met yet, Chiro had a decent feeling about this senior.

"Are you Chiro Butler?"

He looked up and looked into two, bright brown eyes. Antauri was a bit different from what he had pictured. His skin was dark and his hair was thick, curly, and black. He was also very tall, and seemed to present himself as being older than what he was.

"I am… uhm, how do you say your name?"

Antauri pronounced it, slowly, and Chiro gave him a bright smile. "Okay so, what are we going to do now?"

Antauri didn't reply but he led Chiro out of the gym and around the school. Chiro noted that Antauri was very serious, although he felt that maybe he had cracked a few jokes that Chiro didn't catch onto right away. As the day progressed, Chiro shared a bit of his story and Antauri told him very little.

"Yeah, it's been pretty rough, moving to the city. My parents died."

"Do you normally tell people this?"

"I feel like it's a nice thing to tell people. I find it's a lot more awkward for them to bring it up and then I have to tell them then that my parents died."

Antauri didn't say anything. Chiro's friendly smile faded. "So, if you don't mind me asking… when…?"

"Seven years ago. It was a car accident."

Antauri's eyes widened. "Excuse me?"

"Yeah," Chiro replied, paying no mind to his odd reaction. "My parents in a car accident, although they hadn't been drinking or anything and the weather wasn't bad. It was pretty weird. The officer who told me was like, Officer Miller, and he didn't seem too convinced about it being an accident."

Antauri cleared his throat and locked eyes with Chiro. "Do you have a way to contact your guardians after school?" Chiro nodded. "Good. I want you to come and meet some friends. I think it will be… _very_ beneficial to you."

Chiro could tell something was off. Yet, he didn't question it, and it seemed that Antauri wouldn't tell him even if he did ask. Something was up, and Chiro was about to find out.

He just hoped he was ready for it.

**x x x**

I changed my penname but ya know it's cool. I absolutely hated this chapter EXCEPT for the part with Gibson, Sprx, Nova, and Otto. That was fun to write.


End file.
